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Making the Move for Love & Google

October 5, 2016

It was love that initially brought Paulo, originally from Portugal, to Ireland. Well, love and Google that is. When his girlfriend got offered a job at Google HQ, Paulo decided to pack up from Barcelona and make the move over too. He hasn’t looked back since. Now working in iQuate as a product owner, he’s utilising his vast skillset to bridge the gap between the customer and tech teams. He explains: “My current role is as a product owner. I’m doing exactly what I want to do. I have a tech background but I like being in contact with people, so I find this job mixes both of those things perfectly.”

Making the Most of the Lifestyle

And he’s enjoying the work, especially the space he has to think about things like data visualisation – an area he’s passionate about. Although he wasn’t quite sure what to expect, Paulo was pleasantly surprised by Dublin. He explains: “I really feel that Dublin is underrated compared to London. Dublin is a low-profile destination that you wouldn’t think about going to when you work abroad. Well, that’s the typical perception of a Southern European. But actually, there are lots of big companies here and an active start-up scene.”

The Quality of Living

A recent trip to London cemented how happy he is with the quality of life in Ireland. Paulo says: “When I left Barcelona, a lot of people that I know left for London. I was visiting them recently, and they now want to come to Dublin after hearing my experiences.” He adds: “They realise that in London they don’t have the quality of living that they were expecting. For example, I live in the centre of the city and I pay as much rent for a one-bed apartment as they pay for a room in a shared flat, not even in the centre of London. I can get to the airport in 25 minutes very cheaply. The quality of living in Dublin is actually much better, and that’s surprised me.”

The Weather

Oh yes, the weather. As someone from sunny Southern Europe, Paulo offers the following advice to anyone else thinking of moving. He says: “I would say that the weather is not as bad as you think. For example, in Portugal when it rains, it rains much more. Here it rains more often but not as heavily.”

In fact, he was pleasantly surprised that the colder winter didn’t affect him as much as he expected. He explains: “The houses are very well prepared for the cold, so it’s nice to stay home during the winter. I personally don’t even have to turn on the heat. In countries like Spain and Portugal, people brag that it’s sunny, but actually in the winter it gets cold in the home.”

The People

They say that the people make the place, and for Paulo, this seems to be ringing true. He says: “One thing I like is how nice people are. I know this is a generalisation but I find it to be true even in work. Especially in iQuate. They’re interested in new ideas and have a lot of time for you.”

Moving to an English-speaking country made the transition much smoother. Paulo notes: “As it’s English-speaking, everything was easy to research. For instance, it was easy to get my PPS number. The only thing I struggled with was finding accommodation, but apart from that it was super smooth!”

And if you’re serious about career progression, Ireland offers the space to make a real impact. Paulo notes: “The work environment is different here. In Barcelona, you really don’t feel like you are working, and you can feel like you aren’t progressing in your career. That’s what makes many people leave Barcelona. Ireland is more serious and you can really progress even inside your own company.”

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